Ragnarok Rising
by Dea Liberty
Summary: The Fates have chosen...Judgement Day is near, Ragnarok is on our doorstep. Modern magic is no longer enough to win the war - an ancient power has reawakened and the deities have chosen sides. A tale of loyalty, of devotion and of love.
1. Prologue

**Ragnarok Rising**

****

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter, characters, names and indicia are trademarks and copyright to Warner Brothers and JK Rowling. All events and actions contained here within are fictional works of the author herself, unless otherwise stated; this is purely in the author's mind.

**Warnings:** This story will contain SLASH, which means a male/male pairing. If this offends you, please read no further. This is also a darkfic, which means lots and lots of nasty angsty stuff, and blood and death and destruction. If this kind of thing does not float your boat, then please don't read it!!** YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. **The author accepts no responsibility should this fic offend anyone's ideals.

**Pairings:** None at the moment.

**Spoilers:** All published works. This is a Seventh Year fic, all of the years are bound to come up some time.

**A/N:** Right everyone, my angst muse, Kivutar, has returned from his holiday during the Christmas and New Year season (he was over worked before…) and I am back writing angst again. So, this is going to be a bit of an epic, with various different genres. All my muse, except Euterpe, my fluff muse, are going to be participating…who knows, maybe I _will_ manage a little fluff in there somewhere! Because this is going to be a _huge_ undergoing, I will probably have other pieces, like one-shots and chapters to 'Ready, Steady, Play!' out as well as this.

This story will be very much based on Mythology. I have messed around with lots of different myths and legends and thrown them into the Harry Potter world for a whirlwind ride. I will be using _gigantic _amounts of artist license…I'm going to be changing a lot of things, so please be warned…and don't tell me I have my facts wrong!

But please, let this ride, the first of its kind in Potterverse fanfiction, begin…ladies and gentlemen, fellow fanfiction lovers, with a _huge_ amount of pride, I present to you Ragnarok Rising…

**Prologue**

Pain. Pain in such magnanimous amounts that one could smell it, taste it, _feel_ it in the air. The night was heavy with the suffering of innocents, dead before their times; murdered in cold blood.

The wind howled, as if sharing their agony, as it whistled through the rubble – all that remained of a vivacious and spirited neighbourhood. Reminders of the world that was no more lurked around every corner: the head of a doll, black with dust and grime, the chess piece, cracked and shattered to a point where it was unrecognisable, a baby blanket, poking out of a broken window. 

The attack had been so brutal, so sudden and so unexpected that the inhabitants had not realised what was happening – even as they were tortured and killed without a trace of mercy. There were no survivors.

The wind whipped up a frenzied storm of dust that cloaked the ruins, hiding the site within a veil of black smog. Three figures emerged, seemingly out of nowhere, to stand there, surveying the destruction.

"It has begun." The voice was melodic; filled with profound grief and regret. The figure that had spoken turned to her two companions.

"Of course it has, Verdandi. It has been spun," the smallest of the three whispered, as if in consolation. Verdandi sighed, shaking her head in frustration.

"I realise that, Urda, but there is so much death…so much _pain_."

"There will be more, Verdandi, before all this is over – much, much more," murmured the only figure who had not spoken, placing a hand sympathetically in Verdandi's shoulder. "We must return and inform the others of our findings. Valhalla must be ready and the Valkyries prepared when the fighting truly begins."

"Of course, Skuld, you are right," Verdandi said heavily, "but I wish there was more that we could do! They are but mere mortals and yet our fate is sealed with theirs! In all our confusion, we have woven them a task that is next to impossible; but should they fail, Fenrir will escape from his bindings, Vithofnir will crow, Heimdall will blow his horn – and Ragnarok will begin."

"We have linked their destruction to our own," finished Urda gravely. "What a position we have managed to put ourselves in."

"Maybe there is still hope. The future is not as dark as it would be should the Custodiae Lucis be doomed to failure and the Mephis Feres destined to victory," Skuld reassured them, gesturing the need to leave to her companions. "Come. Let us return to Asgard."

Nodding resolutely, the Fates vanished, leaving behind no trace of their presence.

The air around the place crackled with innate magic, signalling the end of an era and the beginning of the time of change.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Godric's Hollow has been destroyed." 

The Great Hall was completely silent. No one moved; no one even breathed. The Headmaster's words had opened their eyes and tugged them from their safe little fantasies, which they had built around themselves, so abruptly that not one of them knew how to react. They had believed that the war was still far away in the future. They had spent their time thinking that they would at least have graduated before joining the war effort. They had been so wrong.

"The time has now come," Dumbledore continued, "to choose your paths, to decide your destinies. But I urge you to consider your options carefully. Do not walk a path because it is expected of you; walk your path because _you_ have chosen to walk that path." He threw a significant glance around the room, lingering on each of the house tables. "Take the path that _you _wish to take – regardless of what other people expect of you. Make the choice. This is the most important choice you will ever have to make."

No one missed the underlying meaning of the speech and everyone knew who the speech was aimed at: those with Death Eater parents.

'You do not _have_ to become a Death Eater." 

The phrase echoed around the Hall as if the words had been said. The time for masks and lies was gone – it was time for true allegiances to be revealed.

That day, and for years afterwards, the noise within Hogwarts was subdued. The students walked the halls of the school cautiously, their lively chatter dimmed to painful murmurs. Their time as children had been cut short.

Owls swarmed the Great Hall every morning; some bearing words of comfort, others demanding that the recipient return home for various reasons.

Dread and suspicion lingered in every room. Friends clung together closer than before, fearing the day when they would be ripped from one another – a day that could be closer than they imagined possible.

All students below Sixth Year were either sent home, if their parents wished for it, or to safe houses all over the world to wait out the War. The Sixth and Seventh Years were given the option to leave Hogwarts and return to their families or to go with the younger years, if they had no wish to be a part of the War. It was only fair: no one should have to witness the horrors that would come with War experience. However, most chose to remain and fight beside their friends.

The volunteers would soon be joined by other members of the Custodiae Lucis, the Guardians of the Light, whose key players were making their way to Hogwarts from all over the world.

Everyone would be trained in the arts of war – modern magic would no longer be enough.   

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"It is done, my friends." Albus Dumbledore stood at the window of the Staff Common Room, looking out onto the vast grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The school was under a temporary spell which would keep it from being found by the other side whilst they trained their forces, but the spell would not last forever: it was far too draining to keep up constantly, but, for now, the school could only be found by those who meant the inhabitants no harm.

The Headmaster sighed and moved to sit in one of the chairs, facing his colleagues. 

"The Fates have chosen. The Treasures of Tuatha Dé Danann have reawakened, and the heirs of the Druids of Dana are coming to their powers." He shook his head. "We can only hope – pray – that they are on our side." He nodded resolutely, obviously determined not to give up hope. "We will pray that they have chosen well."

He gazed around at the shocked faces of the people around him.

"You mean…" Minerva trailed off, not knowing how to voice her question; but everyone knew what she wanted to ask – everyone wanted that same question answered.

"Yes, Minerva: Judgement Day is near; Ragnarok is on our doorstep. 

**_To Be Continued…_**

_A few things to note:_

_Urda, Verdandi and Skuld are the Fates (called Norns) from Norse Mythology. Urda is past, Verdandi is present and Skuld is future. Skuld, the youngest and most beautiful of the three, sometimes rides with the Valkyries._

_Valkyries are the Choosers of the Slain. Skuld sometimes rides with the Valkyries who ride into the battles and lead the souls of dead warriors to Valhalla, the Hall of the Dead, to where the souls of dead warriors are guided._

_'Fenrir will escape from his bindings, Vithofnir will crow, Heimdall will blow his horn.._.' _These are all signs of Ragnarok's arrival._

_Asgard is the home of the Gods._

_Ragnarok is the end of the world and the doom of the Gods._

_Custidiae Lucis translates roughly to Guards of Light (Latin). This is the name of the army of the 'Light Side' i.e. Dumbledore's army etc. I got bored with the clichéd names!_

_Mephis Feres translates to Haters if Light (not sure what language). This is the name of the army of the 'Dark Side' i.e. Voldemort's army._

_The Treasure of Tuatha Dé Danann and the Druids of Dana will be explained at a later date. I've played around with this a little so it is not the same is it is in Celtic Mythology._

**A/N:** Right, that's the end of the Prologue! I'm not always going to put notes at the bottom, and even when I do, it will only be the important things, but I thought that, since this is the first you've seen of this piece, I'd explain it a little…you know, to save as much confusion as possible! Please remember that this is the Prologue, therefore it's bound to be a little confusing! Hopefully, a lot of your questions will be cleared up in the future. If not you can always email me and ask! 

Anyway, what did you wall think? Liked it? Hated it? Couldn't care less? Confused as hell? Want to see more? Don't want to see more? Actually…if you don't want to see more, just don't read it…

If you want to be added to my mailing list, please let me know…questions and queries, also let me know…

I'd also just to shout a HUGE thank you to **Little Webby** for looking over this with me! Thanks mate!

As always, comments are adored and displayed with infinite pride. Flames will be used to burn down your house…O.o

~*Dea*~


	2. Chapter 1: 'Wu di zhi di nai wu you'

**Ragnarok Rising**

****

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter, characters, names and indicia are trademarks and copyright to Warner Brothers and JK Rowling. All events and actions contained here within are fictional works of the author herself, unless otherwise stated; this is purely in the author's mind.

**Warnings:** This story will contain SLASH, which means a male/male pairing. If this offends you, please read no further. This is also a darkfic, which means lots and lots of nasty angsty stuff, and blood and death and destruction. If this kind of thing does not float your boat, then please don't read it!!** YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. **The author accepts no responsibility should this fic offend anyone's ideals.

**Pairings:** None at the moment.

**Spoilers:** All published works. It's a Seventh Year fic; the other years are bound to come up.

**A/N:** Right everyone, here's the next chapter. It'll hopefully make a lot more sense than the Prologue! This chapter will focus on the relationships between the characters, (and no OCs yet either) and how they react when the sides are revealed, so there are no Mythological bits in this. The title of the chapter is a Chinese proverb that translates to 'The enemy of one's enemy is one's friend.' Read and Enjoy!

**Chapter 1: '_Wu di zhi di nai wu you'_**

**__**

Harry Potter stood next to the window of Gryffindor Tower that overlooked the front entrance of the school, watching the students streaming out of Hogwarts amidst their tears – tears of dread, of fear and of grief: they were leaving their second home, a sanctuary of all their memories, to face a brutal world that was at war. His heart was heavy with similar emotions: dread…fear…grief.

A part of him was glad that Voldemort had finally made a move – a move that signalled the beginning of both sides' rigorous preparations and training – and he felt guilty for that feeling. He couldn't suppress that relief though, however hard he tried; he'd spent his life waiting for this and the suspense had been eating him up. He had been born to fight this war.

Another part of him was burning with jealousy as he watched the carriages pull out of Hogwarts – jealousy towards those people who were leaving it all behind. That part of him wished that he had the _choice _to walk away from it all – leave it all behind as they were doing – even though he was sure he would not.

Hermione and Ron appeared by his side, each placing a comforting hand on his shoulders.

No, he would not choose to leave; he would fight along side his friends, just as Hermione and Ron remained by his side – something he was infinitely grateful for.

"How many?" he asked them simply, knowing they would both understand the meaning of his words.

"No one knows," answered Ron. "Because everyone was told to pack, we have no idea who went and who stayed."

"All of us are still here," Hermione added. "All the Gryffindors, both years, are staying by your side, Harry."

Harry smiled grimly. "I have mixed feelings about that," he stated, turning to face his two best friends and the room behind, in which all the Gryffindors were standing. "Half of me is glad – glad that you are by my side, and will remain so, for as long as you all can. The other half is afraid – afraid because you are all in danger of death. I am relieved that there are people leaving: the more that leave, the less there are left to protect." He looked away, guiltily, unable to face his friends; friends who were fuming at him.

The resulting slap reverberated around the room.

"Don't say that, Harry Potter," Hermione hissed, voice shaking. "Don't you dare. We _choose_ to be here. We _choose _to remain by your side. We know – _knew _when we made our choice – that we may well die, but we are willing to do that! We are willing to do that because we know that we are not alone. We are fighting at each others' side; we are fighting for what is right – for freedom and about a thousand other things, Harry. This is what we want, where we want to be. . You are only _human_, Harry! You can't protect us – not _all_ of us."

"I know that, 'Mione," he replied, smiling apologetically and thankfully at the same time. "It's just that, sometimes I…I just…"

"We know, mate," Ron said, smiling at him – an acceptance of both the thanks and the apology. "We understand."

In the distance they heard the whistle of the Hogwarts Express as it pulled out of the station, so much like a symbol of their childhoods, gradually leaving them all far behind.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The small group made their way through the deserted halls towards the Great Hall, where they were to gather for lunch and a meeting that would follow shortly after it. The castle seemed to be mourning the loss of its lively students, as a cat would mourn the loss of a kitten, and seemed dead without the constant rippling chatter that the school was never without – until now.

The Great Hall itself was as eerily empty as all the other parts of the school. The long House tables had been discarded in favour of smaller tables – signifying the abandonment of the House system – petty House pride and the burning House rivalries were things of the past.

The Gryffindors sat down silently, each locked in their own thoughts, and afraid to make too much noise. The echo effect within the Hall was amplified when it was empty. They were all filled with a little bit of fearful anticipation – wondering which of their classmates had chosen to stay and which had left – for any reason. The fear pouring out of them was palpable; they were all afraid that they would be facing off their friends from the other side of the battlefield.

A flurry of noise later, and the tension was eased slightly when the Ravenclaws made their appearances in the Hall. Harry let out a breath he had not known he was holding when Hermione nodded, signalling to him that all Ravenclaw Sixth and Seventh Years were accounted for. They nodded in greeting to the group as they picked a table and sat down.

The Hufflepuffs were the next to arrive. The anxiety lifted a little more as Hermione nodded again. Ever since the death of Cedric Diggory, the Hufflepuffs had been particularly active in the war effort. The relief of their arrival that spread through the other students was similar to wildfire.

The only House left was Slytherin. 

"They've probably all gone over to the other side," Seamus hissed venomously.

"Seamus, don't say that." Hermione, as always, was the first to reprimand him as the others shot tense glares at the Irish boy.

They were all afraid that what the boy had said would be the truth, yet unwilling to believe. The group went silent again.

Harry had turned his attention inwards. He was so scared that Seamus was right, yet he had no wish for it to be the truth. Over the years, the Slytherins had been a powerful group, and hard competition, even when it came down to just House rivalry – he hated to think what it would be like if it was in a war and they would all be fighting for their lives.

He would hate to have to fight them – any of them. Somehow, though, he would hate to be against his blond rival the most. Over the years, Draco Malfoy had become a force to be reckoned with. He was one of the most powerful wizards in the year, second only to Hermione herself, and Head Boy where his best friend was Head Girl. On the Quidditch Pitch, he had become the only competition that Harry had. Initially, he may have bought his place on the team, but no one doubted that, in time, the blond would have earned that position – he was a born Seeker. 

Combining all that together, he would make a deadly opponent on the battlefield. Oh sure, the schoolboy rivalry that they shared was still as strong as the first day at Hogwarts, but Harry really didn't think that that enmity ran deep enough for him to kill the other teen. He didn't think he could kill any of his classmates.

And so Harry prayed that he would never have to.

A couple of minutes later, his prayers were answered.

His blond nemesis walked into the Great Hall, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle, and followed by _all _the Slytherin Sixth and Seventh Years. The Hall went silent as the Gryffindors stood up and approached them, Harry in the lead, Ron and Hermione either side of him.

As soon as they were close enough together, the insults were out of Ron's mouth.

"What, Malfoy? Not running off to join your daddy at the first chance you get?"

"Or maybe," Seamus picked off as the blond refused to answer, "you're just here to spy on us. Well tough luck, Blondie, we aren't going to tell you anything – we wouldn't trust you as far as we could throw you." Even Hermione looked suspicious.

The Slytherin's face tightened, but otherwise showed no signs of hearing their taunting words; his eyes were fixed on Harry, waiting for the brunette's reaction.

The other Slytherins had no such composure, and within seconds, the Hall was filled with profanities from both sides. The two boys had still not said a word.

"Guys," Harry stated calmly, instantly commanding silence. Everyone waited with baited breath for what they expected to be the biggest confrontation Hogwarts had ever seen.

Harry glanced briefly around at the other Slytherins before his eyes settled again on Draco. He stared at the blond for a long moment, during which the whole hall was filled with anticipation, and the Slytherins, with dread. Then, as if he had come to a decision – he stuck out his hand.

The Hall, including the Slytherins, sucked in a collective breath. Draco's eyes widened slightly in shock at the gesture, so similar to the one he had made all those years ago, staring blankly at the proffered hand, then back at Harry's face.

"Malfoy," he went on to say, as if he had not noticed everyone else's reaction to his action. "I'm glad you are still here."

Without hesitation, the Slytherin accepted the offered hand, murmuring a stunned "Thanks, Potter."

"Harry."

The grey eyes snapped up to meet emerald green in confusion and astonishment.

"Please call me Harry," he elaborated, and then looked around the room at every person within it. "All of you. I think the time for formalities and distance has passed. I couldn't care less what the rest of you address each other as; but I would like you to use my name."

"Only if you use mine," the blond Slytherin answered seriously. The whole Hall was muted as Harry nodded. The school's greatest rivalry since Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin themselves had just ended within the space of a few moments.

Harry broke the silence. "Please, sit." He gestured to a table next to the one they had previously occupied. "I meant what I said before: I'm glad that you are all still here."

Without another word, Harry returned to his own table. The Hall came alive with suspicion and the Gryffindors, with anger as they stalked back to join him, shooting glares at the astounded group of Slytherins.  

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

To put it simply, Draco was staggered. He hadn't expected Pot – no, Harry, he mentally corrected himself – to be that accepting. By the noise coming from the Gryffindor's table, neither had his friends.

"Draco?" His attention snapped back to his housemates, in particular to Greg, who had spoken.

"Yeah, Greg?" he asked, still bewildered.

"I thought you said we had to be prepared to apologise and be sincere and all that…." He sounded as confused as Draco was feeling.

"I thought we did…."

"Then why…." The question was cut short by the commotion at the Gryffindors' table. Apparently, Harry's housemates were demanding the same thing from the green-eyed boy.

"Oh, for fuck sake guys!" The boy's voice drifted over to them. "Can't you just accept that I _do_? Why can't you accept that I trust them?" he was demanding. 

A great noise rose up to answer his question. The Slytherins managed to catch words like 'because they're Slytherins' and 'have you forgotten the last six years?'

"No I haven't forgotten the last six years, 'Mione. I still remember every word, every action, but still…."

"Then _why_, Harry?" Apparently, the others weren't satisfied with that statement.

"Because, it's better to have them on our side…." The brunette was interrupted again by his friends drowning demands. This time the Slytherins couldn't catch any words, but it appeared that Harry did. 

"Could you say those words to them, Ron? Does this rivalry go so bloody deep that you could say those two little words and destroy them? Destroy the people you've grown up with? Could you kill your own classmates?" the green-eyed boy replied, getting more and more frustrated. "Because I couldn't, Ron – I don't think I _would_."

"But they are fucking bastards, Harry! They hate everything we stand for, they…."

"Then why are they here? Wait, don't answer that. I'll tell you what," he stated matter-of-factly, "if they murder me in my sleep, then I give you permission to say I told you so, okay?"

The rousing sound of indignation rose from his friends, and the Slytherins wondered what they had ever done to deserve such devotion from a boy they had always taunted.

Harry's eyes flashed in anger. "For God's sake," he shouted, halting them in their ramblings. "I don't care what the hell you think. 'The enemy of one's enemy is one's friend' – Voldemort is our enemy, not them!" The Gryffindors looked like they would voice more protests. Harry silenced them with a look. "I'm going out for a walk before I hurt someone," he said, tensely, anger near the surface, then continued as Hermione opened her mouth, "No, 'Mione. I'm going. Let some foolish thing try crossing my path now…and if I do die, then I'll let you know, okay?" he said sardonically. 

"But Harry, the meeting…." Parvati began uncertainly.

"Dumbledore has his ways to find me when he needs me," he replied ambiguously before stalking out of the Hall, not once looking back at his friends, leaving the whole room gaping in astonishment.

**_To Be Continued…_**

**__**

**A/N:** I just want to say, before you all shout at me, that this does not mean that the Slytherins and Harry are friends! They still have a history of harsh words and actions to reconcile. Harry was angry because his friends were being so prejudice. He's really relieved that the Slytherins are on their side because he'd rather not have to kill anyone he really knows. The Slytherins still don't exactly like Harry, they all respect him. They've never hated him – it was all a guise to keep their parents from getting suspicious and all that, after all, Slytherin is a lot about survival.

So, yeah, I hope that clears up a few of your questions!

I want to, first of all, shout a _huge_ thank you, as always, to **Little Webby **who was kind enough to look it over and spot all my really silly mistakes for me…I seem to have a problem typing the word 'loss'…I'm working on it! Also to **Tanny** who corrected my atrocious grammar! Thank you both so much!

Also, a thank you shout to all those who read this (even if you didn't review it! I know you're out there!) As well as special thank you goes to:

**Benjis**** VIP: **Thank you! That's what I'm aiming for…I find some of the story lines overused…and when people put other things in, it's always the same…someone is not entirely human, Harry's the heir of Merlin etc…you get the picture! I don't think gods and goddesses are used at all! Especially not in the fandom, so I'm happy to be the first…an _original_ idea…for once! I'm glad you liked it. Not many different things in this chapter though, I just wanted to get everything in perspective…more mythology soon!

**Little Webby:** Yeh…I'll send you more when I have it…have some of it drafted already…maybe I should find another beta seeing as you and Tanny will be back at school...and you aren't really fanfiction readers! Well, we'll wait and see! Thanks anyways, mate!

**Sweet Sorrow1: **Judgement Day will be revealed soon…basically, it's the Final Battle…Ok…so if it's not clear after a while…ask me again! I haven't written that far yet! I hope this meets your standards! Thank you so much! I'm so glad you like my work!

**kristendotcom****: **Thank you! Yeah, the last chapter was a little confusing, huh?! Well…it was the Prologue…I hope this one is clearer! I'm glad you liked the mythology…it's my selling point, I think…I haven't seen any other fic in the fandom that uses it, so here I am! The main pairing will be Harry/Draco (it's my OTP!) but there will be other pairings…Het ones as well as maybe a slash one or two…I'm not sure yet! I'll cross that bridge when I come to it!

**platy_bear****: **Yeah I do hate those fics…sometimes, the writers even build it up and I'm like…'whoa talk about anti-climax!' or something! Others I'm just like 'been there, done that,' so I thought I'd do something a little more original! Thank you for the faith you are putting in this, I appreciate it so much!

**Lennie****: **I hope so! Thank you for the review! Glad you liked the beginning! Hope this chapter was ok!

**Anna57: **Thank you! I'm glad you liked it! It promises to be a _very_ complicated fic! I'll try my best to get this to be the best it can be! I hope this was worth the (short) wait! I had this done about the same time as the Prologue!

**MissAssassin: **No worries, hon, it's going to be H/D! You're English isn't terrible! My New Year was great! I hope yours was too! The Prologue _was_ really confusing so no worries there either! I hope this is easier to understand! Thanks for the review!

Anyway! Thank you all so much! Now I would like to know what everyone thinks of this chapter! The next update will be as soon as I can write it, but I go back to Uni the day after tomorrow so it might take a little more time than it has taken lately! I swear it'll be up as soon – I'll write it in class if I have to!

Anyone who wants to be put on my mailing list please let me know! Any questions you have: go ahead and ask me and I'll so what I can to answer them.  

As usual, comments are loved and adored forever and ever. Flames will be used to burn last semester's notes!

~*Dea*~


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